


Fraternity Vale

by Ubiquitous_Chaos (Chameowmile)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Earl's pretty much the denmother, M/M, Native American Cecil, POV Second Person, and shenanigans ensue, carlos is a nerd who doesn't understand what he's gotten himself into, carlos' pov, cecil described, fraternity vale, fraternityvale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-03-21 04:14:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3677046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chameowmile/pseuds/Ubiquitous_Chaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You've been vehemently refusing to join a fraternity for years, since even before you were in college, actually, and yet, here you are.<br/>The frat house has cheaper rent than the dorms."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Night Vale

**Author's Note:**

> Yoo, so I have a random fraternity AU and felt like posting the first part of it today. I've had it on here before, but it was originally posted, unedited, in a set of drabbles/shorts. So I went ahead and edited it out to post.
> 
> Carlos POV with Cecilos as the main ship.
> 
> //thoughinahousefullofboysyouneverknowwhatmighthappen//
> 
> These first few chapters I post will go in order, but once the general “introductory” storyline is out of the way, I’ll probably just start doing drabbles and misc. shorts to go with the AU.
> 
> Also I’m bad and I used my own Cecil headcanon for it, so he, and most of the other characters are going to be described. 
> 
> If you want to see how he looks you can go  
> [here](http://kevin-the-chicken.tumblr.com/post/114798020853/in-case-it-wasnt-obvious-my-cecil-dyes-his-hair)  
> otherwise you can just skim over whatever description I end up giving and do your own thing, lol.

You've been vehemently refusing to join a fraternity for years, since even _before_ you were in college, actually, and yet, here you are.

  
The frat houses have cheaper rent than the dorms, apparently, and so, being a poor young student like yourself, you've decided to take advantage of that.

  
You'd originally intended to find a science-based group, with people you can relate to and whatnot, but all of the terrible Greek names and shitty over-edited mission statements gave you a headache, and so, in a late-night haze, you called the first one that looked kind of different from the rest and called it a night.

  
Today you're taking the "tour" of the place, and they're going to decide if they want to let you join or not.

  
You can't remember what this particular house was called, but you doubt it really matters. Where the signage used to be, there's just a board that says, "Welcome to Night Vale."

  
The building is purple.

  
_Really_ purple, much like their website had been, and there's an eye painted on the door.

  
You grimace, suddenly wondering if you've inadvertently joined a cult.

 

It occurs to you that you could probably just leave and tell them you found a different place, but before you even get a chance to to debate that plan the front door flings open and you're stopped in your tracks.

  
A slightly built...boy(?) is the first to greet you. You're going to assume that he must be male, regardless of the dress he's apparently wearing, because this is in fact a _fraternity_ and you know that if _he_ were actually a _she_  he'd be in one of the trans sororities down the road.

  
He can't be older than nineteen, you decide, but then again, he might also just be wearing makeup, thus softening his features.

 

You can't really tell.

  
He skips over to you delightedly.

  
"You must be Carlos!" He cries, his voice richer than you'd expect, as he clasps your hands in his own "Is it true you're a scientist?!"

  
You open your mouth to explain that you're only s _tudying_ to be a scientist, but he doesn't give you a chance to do so before he releases you and sprints right back up the steps with a,

"We can't be sitting out here all night, now can we?!"

  
You glance around sheepishly.

  
"N...no, I suppose not."

  
The sun is beginning to set.

  
If you didn't know better, you'd think you actually did call a sorority on accident.

  
You awkwardly shuffle after him, shoving that thought aside, and find yourself inside of a relatively unassuming living room. The inside of the house reflects none of the strangeness of the outside, and is far more reminiscent of a bed-and-breakfast than a cult-house.

  
The other man apparently notices your confusion.

 

He smiles.

  
"Earl likes to keep a clean house, so we don't get to mess up the inside much. But you can do whatever you want with your bedroom, or in the rec rooms and back yard, since they're all free game for creative projects."

You snort. Probably not science projects.

You don't say this out loud, however, and instead ask: "Would I have a roommate?"

 

The man bursts into laughter at this.

  
"Pfft, nah, we have _way_ too many rooms for that. But I'm sure we could stick you with Jake if you want one. He's coming to tour with Marcus in an hour."

  
You blink in surprise and immediately backtrack.

  
"N...no! That's okay. I _hate_ sharing my room! It makes studying difficult. I was just...um, wondering."

  
He wheels around on his heels to face you, but doesn't stop walking.

  
"The kitchen is over here." He suddenly states, leading you to a connecting room with an expensive looking setup. It's one of those huge kitchens that you always see in magazines, with solid wood cabinets, granite counters, and stainless steel pans hanging from the ceiling.

  
Unlike in a magazine, however, the place is a mess and there's a man sitting on a stool by the stove, pouring over a text-book as he clearly attempts to cook something that doesn't want to turn out, judging by the reject pile.

  
Your guide snorts.

  
" _Now_ look who's making a mess, _Early!_ "

  
The man gasps in surprise and slams his book shut reflexively, snapping his gaze up in the direction of your guide.

"Cecil?! I thought you were doing something today?!"

  
Cecil. That's an interesting name. You kind of like it.

  
_Cecil_ makes a gesture in your direction.

  
"I'm giving a tour to a newbie, smartass. What? Do you only do your homework when I'm out or something?"

  
His face reddens a bit, but then he looks at you unexpectedly, his eyes narrow and his bashfulness disappears  as he turns back to his book and fishes around for the page he'd lost.

  
He has Blue-green heterochromia, you notice.

  
That's very scientific.

But also just cool.

You wonder if he's blind in either of his eyes.

You should do a paper on it.

  
Cecil breaks into your thoughts as he pads over to the pile of whatever it is that is laying on the counter and laughs, stealing a piece.

  
"I can show you how to make bread if you want me to." He teases, punching the other man in the shoulder as he takes a bite of the doughy food. "I am pretty good at it, you know."

  
The cook growls and swats him away like some sort of unwanted pest.

  
"Maybe _later_ , Cecil, aren't you giving a tour?"

  
Cecil laughs again and steals another piece of bread, which he in turn shoves into your hand.

  
"Well alright then, grumpy pants, have a nice day!"

  
You cast "Early" one last look before turning to follow Cecil as he walks toward a hallway.

 _Your_  piece of read is _overcooked_ , you come to find, but it's still good.

 

Or maybe you're just starving.

  
"I'm guessing he's a culinary student?" You mumble, once in the hallway.

  
Cecil smiles.

  
"Yeah, he cooks dinner most nights too, for practice, and it usually tastes great."

  
"Usually?"

  
"Sometimes he experiments. But don't be rude if it's bad. We did that once and he stopped cooking for a semester."

  
You laugh.

  
"Well I can't cook at all, so his _worst_ is probably still better than _my_ best."

  
"Join the club." He agrees cheerfully, turning right down a second hallway.

  
This place hadn't looked this big on the outside, but now it's obvious that it probably actually did used to be a bed-and-breakfast.

  
"Who owns this place?" You ask, deciding to count how many doors there are.

_...5,6,7..._

  
"I do!" He chimes back, much to your surprise. "But I'm hardly the boss these days, that's definitely Earl. He knows how to deal with kids, and since guys aren't much better than kids, he's pretty good at it."

  
You frown, wondering if he inherited it.

  
"How many of there are you?"

  
"A few." He replies. "We have Marcus, Daniel, Earl, Kevin, and, ugh...Steve." He spits the last name out like poison and crosses his arms. "We've been looking to extend the family."

  
"I hope to be that extension then." You hum back before you can catch yourself.

  
His face lights up.

  
"Really?! I'm so glad to hear that! You're going to be my first "brother" if you do."

  
You smile sheepishly.

  
"Brother?"

 

He points to himself. "Every newcomer gets a big brother, to show them the ropes and stuff. I'll be yours. Which would make you my little brother."

  
You decide not to point out the fact that you're probably older than him and just nod.

  
It kind of makes sense as far as fraternity traditions go...though you can't imagine what sorts of "ropes" you'd need to be shown in one this small.

  
"Oh, um, and the guy you mentioned earlier, Jake? He's getting, um..."

  
"Marcus." He replies.. "And boy is he lucky, if I do say so myself."

  
You blink in surprise. "Why lucky?"

  
"Because Marcus is rich!" He laughs. "And he's made it very clear that he plans to spend a-lot of money on his new boy once he joins."

  
Boy?  
That sounds a little queer. Not that that would be bad, it just seems an odd thing to say.

  
"Buying affection?" You ask, disregarding those thoughts. "Or is he just bragging?"

  
Cecil shrugs. "Probably a bit of both...he's not good at making friends the usual way."

_...13,14,15._

  
After a moment, the two of you reach the end of the hallway, and stop in front of a door.

  
"This would be your room." He states quietly. "It's pretty far from everyone else's, but that's cause I figured you'd like the quiet, and there's a nice big window in it since it's a side room."

  
"Can I see it?" You ask quietly, finding his thoughtfulness a bit endearing.

  
"Yeah, of course!" He coos, jangling a keyring. "It's the blue key."

  
You take it, wondering why they keep an unused room locked in the first place as you search for the blue one, and pop it into the key-hole.

  
The door swings open, revealing behind it a quaintly fashioned little room, with a small metal day-bed, a little metal table, and of course, a set of large windows, all adourned with a variety of lacy materials.

  
The room's a bit dusty, but Cecil wanders over and gently pushes the windows open fix this, inviting in a nice breeze.

  
"Earl's garden's right outside here." He informs you, pointing outside. "It's a nice view, but he does rummage about in there fairly frequently, so don't be too startled by it if you hear anything at an odd hour."

  
You take a peek at the fenced in area for a moment, and nod sheepishly as a breeze ruffles the lacy curtains.

  
"There's a-lot of lace in here."

  
Cecil nods and turns to pet one of the curtains absently.

  
"Mm, yeah, I think it's nice...but if you don't want any of it, that's fine, we could pack it up, I'm sure you have dormitory supplies of your own, anyway."

  
You cast a tablecloth a sideways glance.

  
"No, it's alright, it makes the room look airy and clean."

  
"So you like it then?" He asks, sounding oddly relieved.

 

You nod warmly. "Yeah, um, I do. So, what do I have to do for you guys to accept me into your house?"

  
"Oh my gosh, you want to join?!"

  
"I thought I already said that, earlie-"

  
"Just come back at eight." He interrupts quickly, smiling.

  
"For what?"

  
A mischievous glint creeps into his eyes. "You'll see."

 

You swallow nervously.

  
You're too weak for a hazing.


	2. False Alarm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlito learns more about the house [and survives his "hazing"]

You were invited for...dinner, apparently.

        And were also in charge of cooking. As of such, had to make a quick run out to the market before going over to the house.

        Honestly, you'd expected some sort of trick or something, but apparently free food is an exciting prospect to a house full of guys, so they just all sort of left you be while you whipped together some tamales and rice.

        This, as a result, gave you an opportunity to meet them all while they sat scattered about in the living room and kitchen, eating.

        Earl went ahead and made some icecream sundaes, because Kevin, a small framed guy with a mild resemblance to Cecil, was disappointed by the lack of dessert. Marcus, less intimidating than you'd expected a wealthy man to be, chatted you up casually, while Jake, the other newcomer, sidled up to him with a familiar sort of fondness, indicating that you're probably the only actual stranger here.

        " _Steve_ " sat in the living room studying for some sort of historical mysteries class that sounded more like a conspiracy theory course than anything, and Daniel, a tall, put-together sort of guy, smoked an E-cig on the front porch in the suave sort of way that you usually only attribute to a detective in a Noir film. The suit and tie he wore (apparently his uniform for the restaurant he waits at) didn’t help this illusion.

        The apparent pumpkin latte flavor of his e-cig _also_ didn’t help.       

        Of all the people here, however, you come to find that Cecil isn't one of them.

        "He just got off work." Jake murmurs quietly, scrolling through his smart phone on the other side of the table from you. "He's picking up some snacks and drinks."

        "You...uh, have him in your contacts?"

        He glances up, and blinks.

        "I have _everybody_ in my contacts."

        You laugh nervously. "Not me." But the look he gives you makes you think that that might not actually be true.

        "Plans and messages are always sent through me." He states, after a moment. "Because I'm good at mass-sharing them."

        With that, your own phone dings in a tell-tale manner, and you find that it indeed, contains a message from an unknown number that simply says: "Your number's listed on the science building's alumni page, just so you know."

        You frown. That was probably mentioned in one of the six hundred forms you’ve had to sign over the past few months.

        "That explains all the spam mail I keep getting."

        Jake chuckles.

        "I'll have them remove that for you."

        You hear Earl laugh behind you as he sets a couple sundaes out on the table.

        "If you want something done, Jake has the connections to do it, just know that."

        Marcus, who'd left momentarily to retrieve a missing football from the front lawn, grins cheekily as he walks back through.

        "Gonna build plenty more through me, right Jakey?"

        Jake's face lights up on the man's return, and he stands, pocketing his phone for probably only the second time this evening.

        "Are we gonna play a game tonight?"

        "Probably." He shrugs. "But not football, the sorority girls were just trying to steal this.”

        "Cecil'd probably be up for some vollyball." He muses, fiddling on his phone again. "We could get Dana and Maureen over."

        "Save the guests for tomorrow." Earl retorts. "Carlos is still getting to know us, no need to throw more variables in."

        Jake chuckles at the idea, and the scientist-in-training blushes, just as a familiar somebody comes striding in through the open front door, bags in hand.

        "I've brought _treatsss_!" Cecil calls, tossing them down onto the coffee table. "And also drinks." He gently adds, setting a smaller bag down beside them.

        Carlos feels his heart quicken a pace at the sight of the man, and swallows.

        He looks...very pretty today. He's got leggings on, a loose comfortable sundress, some flats, and a little flower crown.

        The less cautious part of you wants to kiss him. The rest of you expends all of its energy resisting this urge.

***    

        The majority of the drinks appear to be nonalcoholic. Juice, milk, RockStar, and Gatorade, with only a couple bottles of hard lemonade and tea available to shake things up. That's fine with you, since you're not fond of drinking.

        You grab a chocolate milk (Cecil get's strawberry) and everybody else just kind of snags the closest thing to them, not too concenred about what they get.

        As for snacks, it looks like a huge conglomeration of candy, little debbie cakes, chips, and even some little oranges and cheese-sticks.

        It comes as no surprise to you when you discover that Cecil apparently works at a gas station (on the side of an apparent radio internship).

***

        In the end, volleyball turns out to be the game of the evening, and so, in the backyard (which looks to be more of a psychedelic mess than the front yard), you play, volleyball.

        Did you mention you're bad at sports?

        They only make you play one round, fortunately, so after scraping your knee and hurting a finger, you go sit down at the nearby picnic table and start sifting through the snacks from earlier.

        Cecil enthusiastically joins you, as the others move on to other things (soccer specifically, it seems).

        "So I heard you cooked dinner!" He coos. "And that it was actually good!"

        "I only know a couple recipes." You chuckle sheepishly, feeling a bit bashful with as fondly as he's watching you.

        "I'm so glad you found us." He continues, giving you these fluttery eyes that _must_ mean something, as he snags a brownie for himself from the pile of goodies. "It'll be nice seeing you every day."

        You swallow, face reddening a bit.

        There's _no_ way it would be acceptable for you to hook up with him, right?

        You realize after a moment that he's now sitting beside you, smiling.

        " _So_ , like it here enough to stick around?"

        "Uh...y...yes!" You squeak back. "It's very nice so far."

        "We have lots of fun here, you'll like the holidays."

        "Yeah?"

        "Mmhm."

        He's leaning in a bit now, and you pale, suddenly realizing how close he is.

        "Yeah?" You choke again.

        Apparently satisfied that you aren't running away yet, he leans in, and...kisses you.

        What is this?! Middle school?! You’ve just met!

        It takes about half a second for your brain to process what's happening, and then another half to process the fact that the other guys are now staring.

        Torn between staying and fleeing, you eventually do the latter, pushing the Cecil away and hurriedly getting up with some stammered excuse about having to go home.

        You barely make it to the front door before somebody (Earl) grabs your shoulder.

        "Woah!" He exclaims. "What happened?"

        You swallow, shrinking away a bit defensively.

        "I th...think I should go."

        "Did you not want to kiss him?” He fusses, with a glance back to the backyard. “I know he comes on kind of strong, but _really_ I wouldn't worry about i-."

        "I did." You blurt out, before you even mean to. "And that's the problem,"

        He just stares blankly at that.

        "What?"

        You pale.

        "I...uh..." Maybe he doesn't get it. "Like guys."

        He snorts.

        "Okay?"

        "W...was that not a test?"

        "A test?"

        "To...see if I was straight."

        He laughs at that.

        "What? No? Why the hell would we want to test you?"

        "To...uh...see if you wanted me here or not? I mean, I'd totally understand if you didn't, with you being guys...and all."

        Earl cocks a brow. "I take it you didn't notice the pride banner on the website?"

        "I....what?"

        "The only straight one here is Steve." He concludes, matter-of-factly. "He _also_ didn't see the banner."

        Your face reddens immediately. "Wait...so?"

        "I’m Bi." He concludes. "You?"

        "Just...gay."

        He smiles. "So....wanna come back out? Ceec is probably feeling a little bad right about now."

        "B...bad?"

        "You did freak and run."

        "Oh...right...you were all watching me."

        "Sorry! We were curious to see if he’d make his move. We’ll give you space next time.”

        Next time?

        “Uh...thanks?”

***    

        By noon the following day, you’ve already moved into your new room.

        The others seem to be especially fond of the old half-sized vending machine you inherited from your grandpa's old business, and so, before you even realize it, it's been packed full with treats and moved to the living room, along with your gumball machine, which Cecil gets the little prize containers for somehow and fills with a weird variety of more adult themed things (condoms, prepackaged jello shots, and then some sour skittles and Warheads cause why not) because he thought it would be funny and good at parties.

        You smile.

        It’s nice to see those getting some use for once. They’ve just been wasting away in your apartment for God knows how long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short stories coming soon uvu thanks for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> PS this series is gonna be a super shippy series, like, I'm a horrible multishipper, so even though this one isn't especially heavy with it, once introductions are out of the way, I'm just gonna go wherever things take me, lol. You have been warned. Also excuse my poor editing abilities, I just kind of whip these out as I feel like it.
> 
> ***
> 
> Feel free to drop a Kudos/Comment/or story request for this AU  
> To find me on tumblr go to: Kevin-the-chicken.tumblr.com


End file.
